Jhon Duran backed to stay at Aston Villa amid exit-speculation after Villa Park news
Ty Bracey believes Jhon Duran should stay at Aston Villa after Unai Emery’s new contract despite a lack of minutes under his management.
After 18 months in charge of the Villans, the Spaniard was rewarded with a three-year contract extension, announced by the club on Tuesday (23 April).
Emery’s spell at the club has seen many players improve and feature more regularly in the starting XI.
One star who hasn’t been rewarded with Premier League minutes is Duran who may seek a move away in the summer. He was linked with Chelsea in the recent January transfer window [Sky Sports].
With Emery signing a new contract, he may feel his time in B6 is up but Bracey believes he should stay to realise his potential.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Bracey said: “I think we need more than two strikers anyway. I think we need more than Duran and Ollie Watkins.
“I think he should stick around but at the same time if a club comes in with the right figure, and we can replace him for cheaper than we’ve sold him for, absolutely, it’s good business.
“He’s got a lot to learn and I think he’s going to have a big future ahead wherever he goes but I think staying at Villa could be the right thing.
“It depends if Villa think it’s the right thing to sell but I think he should stay at Villa. He absolutely divides opinion.”
Could Aston Villa sell Jhon Duran?
There is no doubt that the Colombian is a top talent with the potential that could see him play at a top level with or without Villa.
He joined the club from Chicago Fire in 2023 for £18m [BBC] in a deal which certainly had Villa fans excited.
This season Duran has featured more regularly than he did in his first year at the club. He has scored three Premier League goals and three in the Conference League [FotMob].
It must be said that he has only played 337 league minutes across 19 matches with most of his appearances coming off the bench. With that being the case, he has been linked with moves away, likely due to this.
There was interest in January from Premier League sides which could tempt the Colombian with a move but they would have to pay a considerable fee.
After spending such a high fee on him, Emery would want to recoup that with an additional fee on top.
He is a very useful impact sub and would be missed at Villa Park but if he wants to leave to get more game time, he should be allowed to.
In other Aston Villa news, Bayern Munich will still want to secure Emery’s signature despite new contract developments at Villa Park
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.